First Look: Kakegurui ××

Premise

Jabami Yumeko and the rest of our lovable scamps are back. By day, Hyakkaou Academy for the Obscenely Rich (or otherwise just plain Obscene) is just your average prestigious private high school for the exceedingly privileged. By night, it turns into a gambling den, with apparently any game and any stakes allowed, and where cheating is a-okay so long as it’s spelled out for the audience.

Artemis’ verdict: Trashy Is As Trashy Does

A direct sequel to season one, Kakegurui×× should surprise absolutely no viewer with what it delivers: absolute trash from the first few seconds right through until the end credits. I use this term with some affection – I would have plenty of issues about calling Kakegurui ‘good’, but I also don’t mind describing it as highly entertaining precisely because of that very trait. Eventually my patience would probably wear thin, but taken in small doses (i.e. once a week is more than enough for me, and two seasons probably will be as well), it’s a show that works exactly because it openly acknowledges its trashiness. Or, to be more specific, embraces said trash at a level of approximately 1000%.

In other words, be prepared for more incredibly outlandish games that barely qualify as gambling, exceedingly unsubtle fanservice that either borders on or crosses the line into obscenity, depending on your tolerance levels, and all the anime FACES you could possibly want. Add to this something like 10 new characters, all no doubt set on power plays and/or trolling everyone just for the hell of it, and I’d say Kakegurui×× won’t have any major problems in keeping fans engaged. My only real complaint at this point is that the OP isn’t anywhere near as cool as the first season’s, either musically or visually. I’d hazard a guess that Yamamoto Sayo didn’t do the storyboarding this time; nobody pulls off an OP quite like she does.